Thousands of patients in Greece are thought to use cannabis for a range of serious medical conditions

Reuters (UK)Monday, November 19, 2018

Greece issued the first licences to private companies for growing medicinal cannabis in the country, part of an attempt to tap a burgeoning market worth billions. Greece legalised cannabis for medical use last year and in March lifted a ban on growing and producing it. Two licences were granted on Monday, and another 12 will be issued by the end of this year, the Economy and Development Ministry said. "There is huge interest, mainly from Canada and Israel ... some of them (potential investors) are huge," Stergios Pitsiorlas, the deputy economy minister, told a news conference. Legalising cannabis for recreational purposes is not under consideration, Pitsiorlas said in response to a question.

There has also been an marked increase in public support for a change in legislation around the region

Jamaica Observer (Jamaica)Monday, November 19, 2018

Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Commission on Marijuana, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, has called for a change in the region's cannabis laws, as the majority of Caribbean governments continue to urge caution on the way forward. Belle Antoine said following the Commission's two-and-a-half-year public consultation she had now taken a firm position on the matter. "After reviewing all of the evidence, looking at all of the laws, listening to people in the region, I am personally committed and quite clear in my mind that the law needs to change,” she said, adding that this change could be through legalisation or decriminalisation. “I personally feel it should be legalisation,” she said, noting the health and economic benefits.

The new law would allow individuals to grow up to 20 marijuana plants and produce up to 17 ounces of the drug each year

Los Angeles Times (US)Sunday, November 18, 2018

Mexico may legalize marijuana, a radical shift for a country whose prohibition on narcotics has been at the heart of its long and violent war against drug traffickers. Legislation submitted to Congress by the party of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would regulate cannabis, allowing it to be grown, sold and consumed for recreational use. Proponents of legalization say it would reduce bloodshed in Mexico by weakening drug cartels and freeing up police officers and prosecutors to focus on more serious crimes. But the proposal has critics, including the Catholic Church, which holds significant sway in Mexican politics. A poll in Mexico last year showed a majority of respondents opposed legalizing marijuana. (See also: Drug law reform comes to Mexico)

There are about 140 cannabis clubs in the UK - but it is thought only about 25 or so are active

BBC News (UK)Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Hardyal Dhindsa, who is the lead on substance abuse for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, has said the war on drugs is not working. He said it was time to look at other ways of tackling drug addiction and use. Mr Dhindsa, who is also the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Derbyshire, had previously met three people involved in cannabis clubs to discuss how they worked. He praised the clubs' self-regulation. "What impressed me was that they are offering support, it is regulated, they have got a membership," he said. "They are not allowing people to make profit out of this and allowing for personal use, which many people do in this country irrespective of what the law is."

NLC has adopted a number of less far-reaching cannabis resolutions over the past five years

Marijuana Moment (US)Tuesday, November 13, 2018

The National League of Cities (NLC), representing over 19,000 cities, towns and villages across the United States is calling on the federal government to take action on marijuana reform and protect states where cannabis is legal. The NLC passed two resolutions related to cannabis at its conference. The first resolution focuses on marijuana businesses’ access to financial services and implores the Trump administration and Congress to “resolve the conflict between state and federal cannabis laws” and “provide guidance to financial institutions that results in the cannabis market having access to the federally regulated banking system.” The second resolution calls for the removal of cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.

The bottleneck can be traced back to the federal government’s pace in approving producers’ ability to market their harvests

Calgary Herald (Canada)Monday, November 12, 2018

More fully-licensed cannabis growers and cultivation space are needed to meet a voracious demand for legal marijuana, a spokesman for the industry said. That means more licences for both producers and their grow areas need to be issued by Health Canada, said Allan Rewak, executive director of the Cannabis Council of Canada. Earlier this year, Postmedia reported that Health Canada was rejecting three licence applications for every one it approved, over concerns some of those requesting them had been involved in the black market. Millions of square feet of production capacity is being brought on line, which should help ease or erase supply gaps, said Rewak.

This website

UN Drug Control

In 2011 the 1961 UN Single Convention on drugs will be in place for 50 years. In 2012 the international drug control system will exist 100 years since the International Opium Convention was signed in 1912 in The Hague. Does it still serve its purpose or is a reform of the UN Drug Conventions needed? This site provides critical background.